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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · temple · mate · mark · stock · track · rest · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — thin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rest — a break
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com